China is also adopting an idiosyncratic approach in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The government has cited Islamic extremism as a justification for its repressive policies in Xinjiang. The Chinese government has imprisoned up to one million Uyghurs into reeducation camps, where they are being detained for prolonged periods of time without due process, subjected to torture, and forced to renounce Islam and to respect Xi’s political dogma in a quasi-religious manner.

With its economic power and influence over developing countries, China’s state policies toward religious minority groups are creating a repressive blueprint for other authoritarian regimes looking to quell religious and ethnic tensions. Thus, the persecution of religious minorities in China should trigger a regulatory response from the international community to prevent further erosion of the right to religious freedom.